Why we celebrate Pride Week at SAIT

On the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 11, students and employees will gather on campus, rainbow hot chocolates in hand, to watch the raising of the Pride flag just outside of Heritage Hall. It’s the beautiful kick off to an important week.

Pride Week at SAIT runs Oct. 11 to 14. From an informative scavenger hunt to a drag artist performance, there are plenty of fun ways to get involved and celebrate.

The scoop on SAIT’s Pride Week

If you’re new to SAIT, you might be wondering why we’re celebrating Pride Week this time of year. Sarah Ward, chair and student leadership coordinator of the Pride at SAIT Committee, breaks it down.

🕵 Why does SAIT have its own Pride Week?

Sarah Ward: SAIT hosts its own Pride Week as a way to recognize and celebrate the very special 2SLGBTQ+ community of students and employees while classes are in session. We hope they feel seen and know that they are so very important to SAIT. Many international Pride celebrations happen outside of the regular academic year. Because October is LGBT History Month and October 11 is National Coming Out Day, we host our own Pride Week in October while students are actually here to participate!

🕵 Does SAIT still recognize other Pride events (Pride Month, Calgary Pride)?

SW: Yes! In June, we hang the Pride flag in front of Heritage Hall to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprisings that took place in 1969. This was a pivotal event in the 2SLGBTQ+ liberation movement. This year, we also proudly hosted Pride in Business for their third-ever Outdoor Boot Camp to celebrate Pride Month. Proceeds supported the End of the Rainbow Foundation’s work in supporting 2SLGBTQ+ refugees in Canada. Calgary Pride happens at the end of August and during the first weekend in September each year, and SAIT participates in the parade!

🕵 Why should people participate in Pride Week at SAIT?

SW: Pride Week is so special because it’s your chance to celebrate and have fun with friends, classmates and colleagues. It’s also a great way for allies to show support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community at SAIT and to learn more about how you can best support this amazing community. We have fantastic, accessible events planned this year — from educational, to just-for-fun! We hope to see you there 😊

Get involved in Pride Week

• Take a workshop on gender and sexual diversity 🌈, grab some free ice cream 🍦 or catch a drag performance 💃— Pride Week has great events happening all week. Check out the full line up!
• Brighten up Microsoft Teams and Zoom meetings with rainbow virtual backgrounds.
• Check out Pride at SAIT on sait.ca to stay up to date on all of the supports, activities and resources available to the SAIT community.
• Learn something new! Check out tips for using more inclusive language in your day-to-day communications.
• Read about SAIT’s commitment to building an inclusive campus through our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
• Share your Pride Week pictures 📸 using #PrideAtSAIT and #HereAtSAIT on social media.